


Sucker Punch

by JustSmileStuffHappens (ksz13)



Series: Buddie / 9-1-1 Prompt Fills [31]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Accidents, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Aquaphobia, Doubt, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Tsunami (9-1-1), Pranks and Practical Jokes, Psychological Trauma, Self-Doubt, Trauma, Tsunami (9-1-1 TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23539249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksz13/pseuds/JustSmileStuffHappens
Summary: Eddie is still mad at Buck and decides to play a joke on him, getting the others to join in, not realizing that the joke will be too much for Buck and push him too close to the edge
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Buddie / 9-1-1 Prompt Fills [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582147
Comments: 5
Kudos: 282





	Sucker Punch

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry this took a while I'm busy. Also buck baby I'm sorry. You deserve love and happiness and respect buddy. Listen to Maddie and the others better make it up to you, they're gonna okay.

_**Sucker Punch** _

Maddie looked at her brother's still form. It was so unlike him. Buck had the respirator more as a safety precaution than actually needing his doctor had said.

The doctor also said she'd never actually seen a case like his but read up on similar and knew a fellow doctor who treated someone with the same symptoms and reaction.

Maddie marched out of the room vowing to whatever deity was listening that Buck wouldn't wake up until she was back. 

"What the fuck happened?!"

Eddie and Chimney looked at each other without a word. Bobby stepped up. 

"Things got out of hand. No one could have se-"

"I didn't ask for an excuse. I want an explanation of what happened, now."

"I- it was just a joke. I didn't know that it'd-." Eddie said as Chimney looked guilty.

"Cause a panic attack and make his lungs seize shut."

"The bucket was half full." Chim offered while raising his hands at her returned gaze.

"Half full. Well my entire brother is in there still because of you. Who the hell puts a trauma victim through shit that's similar to what they've been through as a damn joke? You're right, you didn't think. Get the fuck out. He can ask for you if he wants but I doubt he will." Maddie seethed while moving past Bobby to return to Buck's room.

* * *

Hen sent an eye roll emoji in response to buck asking what she was up to.

Hen: hold down the fort while I get this cute little mutt fixed. I'll come in if you volunteer to explain the birds and the bees and the trees to Denny.

Buck: I'd love help with that but I think you'd be better at it. Oh, I think I hear them calling me for the next chores to add to my list.

Hen: double time buckaroo. 

The tongue emoji made Buck laugh.

He didn't even notice the door slightly cracked. Buck pushed it in with his shoulder while putting his phone away to enter and rejoin the others.

Within seconds everything went wonky.

He was suddenly alone, in the dark, underwater. 

Buck couldn't hear the snickers as he fell back on his ass. Though to him he kept falling, being dragged down, drowning. 

To them he looked like an idiot for falling for the simplest trick in the book.

Chimney while hesitant at first had to admit it was funny. 

Eddie slapped himself in his mirth. 

"God Buck. He sure didn't see that one coming, did he Chim." Eddie asked as they looked at Buck. 

Chimney was too busy staring to reply as he moved over to Buck.

Buck still had the plastic black bucket over his head on the floor. He had fallen back onto his back as he was still drenched.

"Buck. Buck!" 

At Chim's urgency Eddie dashed over skidding beside them. 

Something was wrong.

With the bucket not blocking their view they could see buck gasping for breath with his eyes open but not focused on anything.

"He's not breathing. Buck, come on buddy. Eddie get the B.V.M. !" Chim shouted while trying to rouse him.

Eddie hesitated leaving Buck's side. Why had he thought to do this? For Buck making an off hand comment he didn't even mean. Buck didn't have a mean bone in his body.

Bobby was there now with the bag mask asking what happened before looking around buck.

It all felt like a bad dream only it was real. It was Eddie's fault. He kept hurting the people he loved and letting them down. 

"Eddie you've gotta snap out of it. When you're back to yourself call Maddie. We're taking him to the hospital." Bobby's commanding voice broke through Eddie's thoughts.

He was pulling out his phone as they loaded him into the ambulance.

Eddie stood alone in the firehouse as the call went through. 

"Oh. Hi Eddie. Everything okay?" The joy in her voice cut through him like a knife.

"Maddie. Something happened. They're taking him to the hospital near your job. Well see you there. He's- he's in good hands."

He couldn't hear what Maddie was saying as he held the phone with his shoulder and got into his truck.

"I- he's gonna be okay?" 

Eddie didn't know why he was asking her. 

"Ok. I'll be there soon. I just got home." With that she hung up.

Regret and shame poured over Eddie as the image of Buck struggling to breathe was scarred upon his eyes.

* * *

Buck came back to consciousness slowly then too quickly. 

From the darkness of his mind into the brightly lit room.

"Christopher?" He asked while looking around. 

He didn't have cuts. Why wasn't he hurt? He was in the hospital for a reason, right? 

Maddie blinked awake. "Buck?"

"Mads. Is Christopher okay?"

"Wha- buck, no. Christopher's fine. He's at home now, I'm pretty sure. The tsunami was months ago little brother." She spoke softly making sure he'd hear it.

"Then why am I here?"

"You don't remember?"

"I- I remember texting Hen. Then things got dark and umm- cold." Wet. He was alone. He failed.

"I- the guys, Eddie and Chim, they pulled a prank on you but I think they pranked themselves too. You gave us all a scare there." She laughed, grabbing his hand.

"What?"

"They tipped a bucket of water over your head." How else could she say it.

"Like in cartoons?" Like Carrie?

"Yeah. The doctor said you probably thought you were drowning so you held your breath. And the shock from the water made your diaphragm spasm which didn't help with the panic attack. She said it sucker punched you in the worst possible way" Maddie rubbed her finger over his hand.

"They saw all that?" Buck asked as shame spread like an itchy weighted blanket over him.

"Buck. They caused all that. They have no right to judge you for how you reacted to it. Who does that?"

"But Bobby saw too, didn't he?" Buck was looking at the sparse wall.

He'd bench him again for sure wouldn't he. Buck was gonna be right back at square one. FUCK! 

"Why does it matter if Bobby saw?" Maddie asked.

"Because he's the boss. It's his choice. Mads if I fought for my job back just to lose it again- I don't think I could-" buck couldn't finish his sentence.

"No. Buck. You're a great firefighter. Not everyone can do what you do. But even if that did happen you'd be great at other things." Maddie tried consoling him.

"But that's it. I screwed up. This shows them I'm not ready. They're gonna doubt me now. It's gonna start small then I'll be out entirely." It was like buck was in another world.

"Buck. It wasn't your fault."

"Everything's my fault though. If I did something different or didn't let it happen."

Maddie grabbed Bucks arm drawing his focus.

"You didn't let me get kidnapped just like you didn't let yourself and Christopher get caught in a tsunami. Those weren't your fault alright. Can you at least say that? For me."

Buck couldn't look away. Above doubting himself he was a people pleaser and couldn't deny the people he loved of anything.

"It's not my fault." Buck said letting go of the breath he was holding.

"Okay. Now you've just gotta believe it. I know you will, one day." Maddie smiled behind tears.

* * *

After half an hour of bickering and buck promising on breakfast tomorrow Maddie finally agreed to let buck sleep alone in his place.

Buck was just toweling off after a quick shower. 

The key he'd learned was the heat of the water, doing things as fast and efficiently as possible, and keeping his mind on other things. He didn't usually need to do much but buck hesitated now. 

He hoped he wasn't going to have to go to a therapist again for an evaluation after today.

He was about to get in bed when he heard a knock. Buck quickly moved to the door as he figured Maddie forgot something or was checking up again one last time.

"Mads- Eddie?" He stood still in the doorway looking at him.

"I- I'm sorry to bother you. I don't need to come in but I had to make sure you were okay. Buck I- I was stupid."

"There's a lot of "I"s in there. Wasn't Chim there too?" Buck asked, avoiding Eddie's eyes.

"Yeah, but it was my idea. I made a huge mistake and you got hurt because of it. I wasn't thinking. I mean, she was right, who the fuck knows a guy's been through a tsunami and does that to them. I'm so sorry. I was just trying to get you back for the other day but that was way out of line. I wanted you to know I didn't mean for it to go like that, if I had known. This shouldn't have happened."

"Yeah. We all make mistakes right? I'm gonna miss it."

"Miss what?"

"The station. Bobby's gonna bench me again, accident or not. I know it."

"No buck. He wouldn't do that." Eddie moved to touch buck but withdrew his hand. 

How would he ever be allowed to do that again after what he did.

"Honestly it wouldn't surprise me. I keep screwing up" buck sighed.

"No. We'll talk to him. This is on me. I swear to you Buck."

"You can try." Buck raised his hand but only to get the doorknob. 

"I'll see you tomorrow Eddie. Good night. I gotta get some sleep before breakfast."

"I'll do better Buck, I promise." Eddie said as the door was slowly being closed.

"I'll hold you to it. Go home Eddie. We both need sleep. Tell Christopher I said hi and I'll see him sometime soon, please." 

With that Buck closed the door and locked it. 

Eddie refused to use the key. He had no right to now. But he'd fight to earn using it again outside of emergencies.

"I'm an idiot." Eddie said, putting his knuckles on the door.

Unknown to him Buck was still standing there hesitant to open the door and see if he was still there.

Buck turned away to get upstairs.

Eddie steeled himself and walked away.

It wasn't much but it was a start and that was more than he could ask for, more than he deserved. 

He had a call to make tomorrow even if he was sure he didn't need to make it. Buck deserved certainty. He was going to get peace of mind or as close to it as Eddie could give.


End file.
